The Text: Matthew 11:1-12

¹After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.

²When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples ³to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

⁴Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. ⁶Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

⁷As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,

    who will prepare your way before you.’

¹¹Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

In today’s text, Matthew tells us that John is in prison. He had been arrested by Herod because John had condemned Herod’s adulterous relationship with his brother Philip’s wife. John was simply being faithful to God’s Word. John the Baptist showed his love for God by not compromising his word, and he loved Herod too―really loved him by pointing out the hard truth to him and calling him to repentance, in accordance with God’s own definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13―that love rejoices in the truth.

Okay―people don’t like to hear the truth that hurts―but being imprisoned for speaking it? It wasn’t meant to turn out like this for John, was it? Maybe that’s the reason for John’s question of Jesus: “Are you the one to come, or should we wait for another?” The reason behind John’s question has resulted in quite a deal of debate and uncertainty among scholars for a long time. Was John doubting that Jesus was really the Christ? After all, John has faithfully prepared the way for him. Yet instead of the situation getting better it has only become worse. John had proclaimed that the Christ would come to bring judgment on evil―and now languishing in prison as a victim of injustice perhaps that is what John is longing for Jesus to do for him.

Or perhaps John was uncertain or confused because his proclamation was of a Messiah coming to bring judgment. He had heard in prison of the works Christ was doing―but where was the swinging of the axe that had gone below stump level and was already at the roots? The only works John had heard were those of forgiveness, healing, and mercy―would another follow Jesus, who would perform these works of judgment?

Or could it be that John’s question is not one of doubt, but really a question of trust―expecting confirmation and verification for what he already knows? The fact that John sends a delegation to Jesus with his question and awaits an answer from him proves his faith in Jesus. I’m not so sure it need be an either/or answer. Could it not be all of these thoughts are running through John’s mind while he waited and waited in prison?

It seems like we wait and wait too. Come Lord Jesus we pray. We don’t like waiting, especially in today’s society. But today’s text doesn’t just leave us with the questions. Jesus gives his own response. Notice that Jesus doesn’t say: “Yes, go and reassure John that I’m the Messiah.” But Jesus says: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.” This is the best assurance possible, for what Jesus says is the direct fulfilment of what God promised through Isaiah in today’s Old Testament reading. Jesus is the fulfilment of what has been promised from of old. He has been doing precisely these things since the beginning of his public ministry. He has preached in the synagogues. He has cast out demons. He has healed many from their sicknesses including a lame man and a blind man. The miracles point to his authority and power over all things, even to release people from their sin and the kingdom of darkness, and to be victorious over the power of death itself. It’s no wonder Jesus tells them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard.”

Perhaps at some point or other we can all relate to John the Baptist as he waited in prison. Just like John, everything we might expect or hope for from God is not always fulfilled in the way we’d like, or with the timing we’d like. Maybe it’s an illness that we or a loved one suffer, or the troubles of our family. Maybe it’s a time of difficulty we’re going through, or maybe it’s wondering about an uncertain future. We might feel trapped and isolated with burdens nobody else could understand. We might feel imprisoned by our frail bodies or our own sinful human natures.

Yet the season of Advent focuses our attention on God who did not abandon his creation but stepped into it in the person of Christ and was born in that stable at Bethlehem. However if Advent were just a reminder of what had happened in salvation history then it becomes emptied of so much hope and power. Neither is Advent only about hoping Christ will come again one day. In The freedom of a Christian, Luther says

“…it is not enough…to preach about Christ just by telling what he did and said, simply as a story or as historical facts. Just knowing these things doesn’t necessarily make any difference to how a person lives.

Instead, Christ ought to be preached about in such a way that faith in him is kindled and kept burning, so that he is not only Christ, but Christ for you and me; so that what we are told he is and does takes effect in us. Such faith is produced and grows in us when we are told why Christ came, what he has brought and given us, and what good things we have when we have him.”

Together with our remembering and hoping, this is why the season of Advent is so special. Jesus came for us. He was born, truly human, for us. Born there in a stable surrounded by dirt and animals and their waste, Jesus came to us to know what it means to be a person and live in vulnerability and weakness and brokenness. He overcame temptation for us and lived perfectly for us. He came to rescue us and bring us true freedom by calling us into God’s Kingdom.

No one knows when he will come again but he tells us where he comes now with his re-creative power at work. He tells us where he comes in the midst the suffering of this world to bring the Good News to the blind, the lame, the sick, and the poor. Through the Holy Scriptures he continues to teach us, just like he taught his disciples in verse 1. He raised us from the dead and brought us his new life and resurrection power in baptism. He continues to bring freedom and release through the holy meal he serves his people which is not just bread and wine but his own flesh and blood. As he ministers to us through these ways, he calls us to wait―and to wait with him. As we do wait for his return we can rejoice that he will never leave us. As we wait with our Advent King and gather around him to be served by him, we proclaim to the world that he has trampled over death and lives today, and that he uses his authority to bless unworthy sinners with the abundant grace of God, so that there is hope and strength, joy and refuge in even the darkest places of human experience.

Blessed are those who do not take offence at Jesus’ words! For those who cherish Jesus’ words rather than taking offence at them can only do so because they have first been blessed by God. And those who have been blessed by God so that they do not take offence at the words of his Son—but hold firmly to them in faith—will see John the Baptist and all the other saints of all times and places, as we gather around the throne of the Lamb in heaven.

Amen.

 

God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give us grace and peace. Amen.

People can often think of repentance in negative ways. The call to repent can bring to mind a person standing on a street corner, telling people to turn from their sins because judgement is coming which will bring condemnation to all who are not living the right way. Repentance can often be understood as being based on threats, motivated by guilt and fear.

When we listen to John the Baptist’s call to repentance in Matthew 3, we can hear him urging those who are listening to him to turn from a particular way of living. What is important is that John was talking this way to the Pharisees and Sadducees who were the most religious people of his day (v7). John was telling them that going through a religious ritual with no intention of making changes in their lives was worthless. Instead of thinking that they had no need to repent because of their own perceived religious goodness, John was telling them that they needed to produce the fruit in their lives that came from a changed heart and mind.

John’s words are a challenge to all of us. It can be easy for us, too, to go through the motions of turning up to church, saying a prayer of confession and hearing God’s forgiveness in the absolution, without it making a difference in our lives. When John the Baptist calls us to produce fruit in keeping with repentance, he is saying that repentance will show in the way we live and in our relationships with other people.

For example, during Advent we celebrate God’s gifts of hope, peace, joy and love to us through the birth of Jesus. This is a good time to look at our lives and ask whether we are producing the fruit of God’s hope, peace, joy or love in our lives. If we are turning up to worship, lighting the candles each week, singing carols and other songs, but not finding hope, peace, joy or love in our lives, then we are not too different from the Pharisees and Sadducees who turned up to be baptised by John but were not willing to change their ways of living. It might sound harsh, but when John says that the axe is at the root of the tree, ready to cut it down if it is not bearing fruit (v10), he also warning us that God wants to see the fruit of hope, peace, joy and love in our lives.

What produces this fruit is trusting in God’s promise of his coming kingdom. Matthew writes that John’s message of repentance was the same as Jesus’ message at the start of his ministry when he said, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near’ (Matthew 3:2; 4:17 NIV). They both call people to turn to God and be part of his coming kingdom on earth. The Kingdom of Heaven which comes to us in Jesus is good news for us because Christ’s kingdom brings with it all the goodness of God in the person of Jesus. John and Jesus both call us to repent, to turn towards God, on the basis of the promise of God’s goodness which comes to us in his kingdom. We can hear this call to repentance as the promise of something good, not a threat of punishment.

Christ’s kingdom comes to give us everything we need to produce the fruit God is looking for. If I am trying to grow fruit on a tree, the best way to help it produce a good crop is to feed it, water it, care for it and nurture it. God does the same with us by giving us what we need through Jesus to produce fruit in us. We call this ‘grace’. If we are lacking hope in our lives, Jesus gives us hope as the one who defeated death and whose life is stronger than anything that might try to take our hope away. If we are in conflict, either with others or within ourselves, Jesus’ reconciling work on the cross establishes peace between us and God which we can live out in our relationships with others and within ourselves. If we are lacking joy, the good news of Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection can give us joy as we live in the reality of God’s grace and love for us. And if we are finding it hard to love God, others or even ourselves, the love that God show us in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection creates and grows love in us for everyone who needs it. Whatever fruit we may be lacking in our lives, by turning towards Christ’s kingdom in faith, the Holy Spirit provides us with all we need to produce the fruit of repentance in our lives.

That is why John the Baptist calls us to repent. Instead of spending our lives looking for hope, peace, joy or love in ways that will ultimately fall short, John is calling us back to the one place where God provides us with everything we need to produce what he is looking for. Repentance is a vital part of the lifestyle of the follower of Jesus. It grows when we trust that God has everything we need for this life and the next, and gives us what we need as an on-going act of grace through the coming of his kingdom in Jesus.

Repentance is much bigger than turning up to church sometimes and saying a ‘sorry’ prayer. As we hear the good news of Jesus and turn to him as the source of every good thing we need for life in this world and the next, the Holy Spirit continues to grow us to maturity so we can produce the fruits of repentance which God is looking for in our lives.

And the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

Matthew 24:36-44
But concerning that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven or the Son, only the Father. ³⁷For just as in the days of Noah so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, feasting and marrying until the day Noah entered the ark, ³⁹and they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all. So will also be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹Two will be grinding with a millstone; one will be taken and one will remain. ⁴²Keep watch therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been vigilant and not have let his house been broken into. ⁴⁴Therefore you also must be ready, because you do not know at what hour the Son of Man is coming.

 

Today we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the church year. The word ‘advent’ is from a Latin word, adventus, which means ‘coming’ or arrival of an important occasion or person.

During the four Sundays of Advent we look forward to the important occasion of Christmas and its celebration of our Lord’s coming as a human baby born at Bethlehem as the Saviour of the world. It is Jesus’ birth, this Advent of the promised Saviour, which marks the beginning of the end times. The end is near.

During these four Sundays of Advent we also focus on preparing for Jesus’ final coming as King at the end of time. That preparation for His arrival involves self-examination and repentance.

The end is near, but, Jesus Himself tells us in today’s Gospel, nobody knows the day or hour of His return. We can only join in the confession of the Apostle Paul, who in our second reading from Romans 13 declares that “…our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed”.

Jesus explains His imminent coming and what that will mean with an example from history: His coming will be like the flood in Noah’s day. In verses 38-39 Jesus says:

“In those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, feasting and marrying until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all.”

Jesus is not condemning the eating and drinking, feasting and marrying, but the state of indifference to life with God. Noah and his family heeded the word of God and were saved. The building of the ark was a sign to the people for repentance, the sign that judgement through the flood was coming. Yet they carried on with their daily lives, eating and drinking, feasting and marrying oblivious to their need for God and the blessing of His forgiveness, so that when the flood came, suddenly, unexpectedly, it took them all.

So will the coming of the Son of Man be, Jesus says: sudden and unexpected. Which is why vigilance for His return is a critical matter. Jesus tells us a parable of a thief breaking into a house to help us understand this. If a thief consulted with the owner of the house prior to their burglary, and notified them of the precise time they were coming, the owner of the house would not be otherwise occupied or asleep, but present and vigilant, waiting for the arrival of the thief so that they could take the appropriate measures.

Thieves don’t publish a schedule for their criminal activity. It is sudden and unexpected. That is why, if that owner of the house in the parable had known at what time they were coming, he would have kept an eye out for them. Vigilance is necessary. So too for Jesus’ coming. Jesus says: ‘Therefore you also must be ready, because you do not know at what hour the Son of Man is coming.

Some years ago a tourist was travelling along the shores of Lake Como in Northern Italy. He wanted to visit a particular castle called Villa Arconti. When he reached the castle, an elderly gardener opened the gate and showed the tourist around the grounds which he had kept in perfect order, for over 24 years. “How often has the owner of the castle been here during that time?” The tourist asked. “Four times,” the gardener replied. When was the last time that he was here?” The tourist asked. “Twelve years ago,” the gardener replied. “Does he call or write to you?” “Never,” answered the gardener. The tourist was amazed, and said: “But you keep this garden in such fine condition and take such excellent care of it, just as though you expected your master to come tomorrow.” “Today, sir—today,” the gardener replied.

How about us and our preparedness for Jesus’ return? Would we be thinking: ‘Today my Lord may return. I must watch and be ready. I must attend to the state of my spiritual life and devotion.’

How many days in this past week have we thought that? How often have we lived each day as if we expected our Lord to arrive that very day?

Our work and leisure are two big areas of our daily lives that often crowd out the thought of being ready and keeping watch. We hear that from our text. Two people were in a field, one was taken, the other left behind. Two were milling the grain, one was taken, one left behind. So while there were two people carrying out their daily work, one was focused on work and its rewards; the other was focused on Christ!

In whatever work we do, it’s easy for us to become consumed in it. Would Jesus want us, in whatever line of work we are in, to be so busy that we do not come to Him in a time set aside for daily meditation and weekly reception of His grace and blessing through His presence to bless us in Sunday worship? That is the whole purpose of our text: to work in us the desire for daily baptismal living and the presence of God through the holy things he offers to us: His word and sacraments, as we await His final coming.

Yet these things easily go onto the backburner as we go through the daily motions, the weekly grind. It is easy to work ourselves into the ground. Our thoughts shift to taking time out. Of eating, and drinking, and feasting, as it were. How often is our immediate thought when we do have time off to say: “At the beginning of the day I will read my bible for 30 seconds, a precious half minute when I can meet with Jesus my Lord who will be there with His Spirit to bless me.”

But during Advent, we are not just keeping watch over our hearts and minds. Advent is also a time of joyful expectation and a time of hope. Advent is a time of waiting – not just waiting aimlessly, but waiting expectantly; a waiting for God to fulfil His promise. It is why we have the fifth candle on Advent wreaths. The candle in the centre, symbolising Christ, God born in flesh for us as a human baby, the light of the world who has come and who will come again. Christ the one who is at the centre of our expectant waiting, the One who our faith and hope clings to, and the one who fulfils it.

The gospel in our text is the very fact that Jesus is coming again to take His faithful people to be with Him in heavenly glory forever. For His faithful people, Jesus’ coming again is a time of joy and comfort, a time of fulfilment.

How will Christ’s second coming actually happen? Will we have time to blink? Will we be overcome with fear or rush to meet our Lord in jubilation? At His coming will we give extravagant praise or fall on our face in spontaneous reverence at the holiness of God before us? How would we know if it were really Jesus, or if we were being led astray by a false Christ?

Today’s text tells us that just as our entire salvation is completely the work of the one who was nailed to the Cross for us, so also our final rescue is completely up to Him. Jesus never speaks of us going anywhere! We are simply there. We are just waiting, the ones open to his work; the recipients of His grace. The action is on His part. He is coming to us. That, after all, is what adventus means. He comes – and those who belong to Him will be taken.

As we wait for His coming, His taking of us into eternal glory, may He, as the God of all hope, bless and keep each of us in true faith and hope.

And for those of us whose spouse or children or parents do not yet know the Lord, and for whom today’s reading consequently fills you with anxiety over your loved ones without faith, may you receive true peace and hope knowing that the Lord who is coming again, is the God of all hope.

The God of all hope who humbled Himself and became man, who broke into our world which groans for deliverance from transgression, the God of all hope who came to bring forgiveness and compassion to our human race tearing itself apart. The God of all hope: who came in human flesh and shared our weakness, and took upon himself the most sickening of human sin and depravity, so that those in the depths of despair could have a true and lasting joy of knowing God.

He continues to come into our world, into the homes and hearts and minds of those who, like the Apostle Paul once did, even proudly and publicly reject and persecute him. The God of all hope continues to come, even to the faithless, to create life saving faith in those, who like us, were unable to come to our Saviour by our own strength or choose Him.

Because God kept His promise to send His son, the world’s Saviour, He has shown Himself to be trustworthy. We can count on Him. We can count on His promise that Christ our Lord is coming again to take all His faithful people to be with Him.

Until then He continually comes to us in His holy Word as He has done again this morning, in the waters of Holy Baptism and in bread and wine which is his true body and blood.

Through these means He graciously bestows upon us the riches of His grace and all the benefits He won for us on the Cross through His shed blood: forgiveness, righteousness, reconciliation and peace with God, freedom from sin, death and the devil, and eternal life.

Through these means your King comes to you, humble and gentle, giving Himself, forgiving you, blessing you, and strengthening you in the one true faith until life eternal. Come Lord Jesus, come!

Amen. 

4 Advent
Luke 1:39-55   

As many of you know, we are expecting our first grandchild in the coming months. When our daughter recently visited us she and Kathy talked much about babies and pregnancy. I found things to do in the garden!

It is not that I am not interested in such things as ultrasounds, babies kicking, birthing plans and the latest ideas on infant nutrition. It is simply that after an hour or two, I feel the subject has been thoroughly covered!

And if two expectant mothers meet up, you can be certain that the politics and the weather will never come up.

The story in today’s gospel is such a story. It is a story of two expectant mothers, meeting up. They are cousins.

And neither one of them expected to be expecting.

Elizabeth is the oldest woman anyone had ever heard of having a baby. She is probably in her sixties. She and her husband Zechariah had stopped hoping and praying for a baby decades ago. Her pregnancy is, in fact, so improbable that her joy is also tinted with embarrassment. The women of her village surely will think she is not actually pregnant. Perhaps she has a tumour or growth. So she secludes herself in her home. She stays out of public sight – until there can be no doubt that she actually is expecting a baby.

And Mary? Well, if her cousin Elizabeth is the oldest woman in the land who is expecting, Mary is certainly among the very youngest. She is still a teenager. She has been engaged but not yet married.

And if Elizabeth’s pregnancy is improbable, then Mary’s is impossible.

She is not married. She has not known a man. She is still a virgin. But, of course, no one is going to believe that story. So she, too, wants to stay out of the public view in her village. The trip to her cousin Elizabeth’s home, about two day’s travel away, is a good excuse to be away for a few months.

And there is something else unusual about these two pregnancies.

Both had been announced by an angel.

An angel had appeared to Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah when he was in the temple in Jerusalem serving as one of the priests. When the angel tells him that their prayers for a baby had been answered he could have forgiven for thinking that the prayers of he and his wife, or perhaps God’s response, had gotten lost in the divine post. That was decades ago. They had not prayed for a baby in many years. Nonetheless, the angel told Zechariah that he and his wife Elizabeth would have great joy in the birth of a son and that many others would rejoice as his birth as he would do great things in the sight of the Lord because the spirit of Elijah would be upon him. For a first century Jew, and one trained in the scriptures as Zechariah was, there was little doubt what the angel was saying. His son was going to be the forerunner who prepares the way for the Messiah.

When Zechariah pointed out that his age and the age of his wife made this, well, rather improbable, and asked for a sign, the angel responded sternly. The angel announced that he was not just any angel, but the archangel Gabriel who stands regularly in the presence of the Almighty. There was no mistake about the message. And if Zechariah wanted a sign, he would have one. He would not be able to speak a word until his son was born!

When he returned home, we imagine that through a series of signs, gestures and writing he got the whole story out to Elizabeth. And sure enough, just as the archangel had said, Elizabeth became pregnant.

But the archangel Gabriel was not done with his tasks. Six months later he had another visit to make, and another announcement. This time in a village in Galilee. There he came to a young girl named Mary. He told this young girl that even though she was not yet married she was going to have a son, and that she should call him Jesus, for he would be great and would rescue his people and would be called the Son of the Most High.

Like Zechariah, Mary also had questions. Perhaps by this point Gabriel was thinking, ‘Why can’t they simply believe what I tell them.’ But perhaps after the experience with Zechariah he was expecting questions. And the most obvious was this: ‘How can this be,’ asked Mary, ‘since I am a virgin?’ It was a perfectly reasonable question.

And Gabriel goes easier on Mary than he did on Zechariah, who as a trained priest serving in the temple should, after all, have known better than to ask God to ‘prove it’.

The sign Gabriel gives Mary was that of her cousin Elizabeth. He told Mary that even though her cousin was now an old woman, and well past her child-bearing years, she was in fact six months pregnant.

So the angel leaves and Mary hurries to visit Elizabeth.

So Luke’s Gospel begins with a double annunciation, two stories with the Archangel Gabriel announcing the birth of a very important child. This is then followed by two birth stories. The account of the birth of John the Baptist to Elizabeth and Zechariah is followed by the more famous story of the birth of Jesus.

But in between these two stories we have the meeting of the two unexpectedly expectant mothers.

Apart from Zechariah and Joseph, they are the only ones who know what God is about to do. And while it is not yet clear what Zachariah or Joseph are thinking at this point, it is clear that both Elizabeth and Mary not only understand what God had promised, but they believe it.

God had promised that both births would bring joy, and joy is certainly the dominant feeling when the two women meet.

We are told that the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy when Mary came to her door. Elzabeth took this as a sign that this was the Messiah for whom her son would be preparing the way.

And, filled with the Spirit, she speaks: ‘Why have I had this honour, that the mother of my Lord should come to visit me? For as soon as I heard your voice the child in my womb leapt for joy. Blessed is she who believed that the prophecy of what has been promised by God would be fulfilled.’

Now, it would seem that there must have been some conversation between Mary and Elizabeth before these words are spoken, for Elizabeth knows of the message to Mary and Mary’s response to it. And she immediately confesses faith in Messiah, her Lord, who is still early in his first trimester. Talk about getting in early to confess faith in Jesus!

Then we have the famous response of Mary, called Mary’s Song, or the Magnificat, after the opening words of the song.

Every Jew, and certainly every Jewish woman, would have immediately recognized echoes of the song of Hannah, mother of the prophet Samuel.

Hannah had prayed to God asking that he look upon his lowly handmaiden with favour, in words virtually identical to those of Mary. And Hannah begins her song with ‘My heart exults in the Lord, my strength is exalted in my God.’  It was a favorite story and song of Jewish women.

And Mary would have known the song well, and in her excitement at the confirmation of the angels announcement through Elizabeth she responds with humility and praise. She responds with joy.

And the joy is not just for her. In a series of couplets, in Hebrew style, with echoes of not just of Hannah’s song, but of many of the Psalms, Mary lists the many ways God is about to turn things upside down. The lowly will be lifted up, with the haughty will be brought low, the hungry will be fed and the rich will go away empty.

God is not just coming into the world to make a show of things. God is coming into the world to change things.

And her song ends with praise of God who remembers his people and who shows mercy.

After this Mary remains with Elizabeth for three months. We are not told if she leaves just before the birth of John or just after. Luke does not want the stories confused, stories he certainly has gotten from Mary herself. The interlude of the meeting of the two expectant mothers has taken place. It is time for Mary, now clearly starting to show her own pregnancy, to return home and bear the weight of the gossips. And it is time for Elizabeth to give birth and for Zechariah to finally be able to speak.

The nativity narratives are about the move from birth announcements, to the story of two births.

But we should not pass over this meeting of the two expectant mothers in the midst of these accounts too hastily. For it is here that the mothers take centre stage. It is here that they both have a voice. It Is here that, taking comfort in one another’s company, and comparing their stories, they both confess an unwavering faith in God and in what he is about to do.

It is here that perhaps the only two people on earth who not only know what God is about to do, but really believe God is about to do it, come together.

And their mood? It is not one of fear or apprehension, but of pure joy.

Elizabeth and Mary know what God is about to do. They are preparing to give birth. And they are also preparing for the dawn of a new age.

And they are both overjoyed. They are the first to feel this joy. But they will not be the last. The joy at what God has done and continues to do through coming among us in human flesh continues to reverberate in our own time and in our own lives.

How do we prepare for Christmas? How to we prepare for the coming of God in flesh among us?

With only a few days left before Christmas we might be thinking of the shopping we need to do, the presents left to buy, the travel arrangement to make, the cards to send. But in the midst of everything else there is really only one way to prepare for Christmas, for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, of God among us. And that is the way that Elizabeth and Mary have shown us.

We prepare with hope, love, peace and joy, just as they did. For it is hope, love, peace and joy that God has brought into the world and into our hearts through the birth of Jesus. Any other response misses the point of Christmas.
Amen.
Pastor Mark Worthing.
Port Macquarie.

 

Text: Luke 3:7-18
Advent 3.

 

When families contact the church to enquire about baptism, we don’t tend to respond like John the Baptist did to those who came enquiring about his baptism in the wilderness. He called them ‘a brood of vipers and asked,  Who warned them to flee from the coming wrath? We usually just say “Would you like to get together and talk about it?” 

But John is different. His baptism is different, his approach is different. I wonder why? 

Why the confronting language? The brood of vipers, the wrath of God, the axe lying at the root of the trees, the winnowing fork, the chaff being burnt.  What’s John doing? What’s he driving at?   Today we consider –

The warning
The way and
The welcome
by which he seeks to call and draw and gather people back home to God.

The warning, the way, and the welcome.   

First, the warning. You’ve already heard part of it but John goes on to tell the crowd to “produce fruit in-keeping with repentance.” He says: “…do not begin to say to yourselves: ‘We have Abraham as our father’ for I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”

Some of these folks who came to John in the wilderness were there under false pretences.  They didn’t think they needed John or his Baptism of repentance. They didn’t think their lives needed challenging or changing in anyway. They felt secure in knowing they were descendants of Abraham.  They were from good stock, which they believed gave them a place of privilege and superiority over others.

John’s warning is a warning against pride and self-importance. Things we are all susceptible to when we think too highly of ourselves and not highly enough of others. John the Baptist is helpful because he gives us a different perspective: an outside perspective on what really needs chopping and changing in our lives, if we do want to turn back to God.   

Imagine driving along in your car and you think everything is fine. You have the radio on, the air conditioner on, the petrol tank is full because you saw it a week or so ago at a bargain price, and you filled up. So you’re pretty pleased with yourself.

All seems well…but then someone drives up alongside you and they are yelling at you insistently to wind down the window, trying to tell you you’ve got a flat tyre. Or your boot’s open. Or your engine is on fire, or something. Now you’d be crazy to say “Ah they don’t know what they’re talking about—it looks fine from in here. There’s no problem from my perspective from where I sit things look great.”

Surely you’d listen to the person outside the car because they see things you don’t.

John is like this, he brings an outside perspective; an outside voice; an unconventional approach. But we ignore him at our peril, we remain proud and smug and self-important at our peril. Turn around John says; turn around to see that God has more for you than just you! That is his warning.

What about his way? How does he go about it? John’s message has this great levelling effect. The valleys are filled in, the mountains are made low. The crooked roads become straight and the rough ways become smooth.  He brings down the proud and lifts up the humble. And some of the proud do wake up to this fact, and they ask him this question, “What should we do then?” What is the fruit of repentance? How should our lives change? When we turn to God, when we are baptised, when we do trust him, what changes should that bring?

John explains to them very practically and very ethically how it looks in each of their situations, and he says for those who have plenty it looks generous, it looks like sharing, it looks like not being too attached to worldly possessions.  It looks like giving things away, not just our old things that we don’t want any more. But maybe new things too.

“Anyone who has two shirts” John says, “should share with the one who has none and anyone who has food should do the same.” Most of us have far more in our pantries and in our wardrobes than we really need, and John says turning to God involves turning away from being solely interested in our own needs, and turning towards the needs of others. Turning away from greed, turning towards generosity.

The tax collectors ask “What about us” and John encourages them: be fair and equitable. Don’t rip people off don’t take more than you should.  Don’t be dishonest on your tax returns. The soldiers asked “What about us?” and John replies: “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely. Be content with your pay”. They’re called to not be harsh with people to not accuse people and to be content with what they earn.

That’s a good one for all of us to learn to be satisfied to be content. The surveys show that most of us, when asked how much money it would it take for us to feel truly secure and be truly happy, respond by saying “Just a little bit more than we have, not too much more, but a little more would be nice.”  John encourages us to learn to be satisfied, to learn to be content as a way of living out repentance and living out our baptism.  And for each person in each station and each vocation it looks slightly different.

But the point is that the way of John puts us all on a level playing field and calls us all to be deeply aware of the needs of others on that playing field.  What opportunities might we find to do that as Christmas approaches and we witness to family, friends or strangers in need.

At this point the crowds are starting to wonder about, John. Who is this guy?  And they wonder if he may in fact be the Messiah, the way he talked, the fire in his belly, the authority in his voice, the commitment to God.  But he quickly set them straight on that count.  John answered them all: “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”.

John’s ministry was always preliminary and always intended to give way to the ministry of Christ.  John’s was a baptism of repentance, Jesus’ was a baptism of the Spirit. John’s was a message of law, Jesus’ was especially a message of grace. John told us not to trust in ourselves. Jesus gave us something better in which we can trust, the mercy of God, the forgiveness of sins, the healing of our hurts.

Together John and Jesus sing a beautiful duet; the law and the gospel, music to our ears.  Together they show us how far away from home we have strayed, how urgent it is that we turn back and how ready God is to welcome us back when we come like the prodigal son.  We read in Zephaniah that the Lord says: “At that time I will gather you, at that time I will bring you home.” Coming home to God Is a beautiful thing, a joyful thing, a wonderful thing.

We were welcomed into God’s home and family through our baptism.  We might not remember it. We might not think about it on a daily basis. But that doesn’t make it unimportant or change the reality of what God did. At our baptism a relationship was established between you and your heavenly Father and you were welcomed into his home.

May God fill you with the promise and joy of coming home to him in this Advent season.

Amen.

On this second Sunday of Advent, which season of the Christian year consists of the five Sundays leading to Christmas Day, the Gospel and the Epistle forcefully remind us of the meaning of Advent. It literally means ‘Coming’. While Advent speaks to us of Christ’s coming as the promised Messiah of Israel it speaks to us today of the Lordship of Christ as the coming Revealer of His kingdom as the Lord of all future time.

The exhortation to watchfulness in the lessons from the gospel for today is an exhortation not to take God’s grace for granted. We are not to think that the fulfilment of God’s purpose is an automatic process and that some how or other we are on the winners’ side because of who and what the church or we are. The kingdom will come as a thief in the night precisely because it is God’s free and unmerited gift. And that day will bring many surprises.

Until we appreciate this background to the account of John the Baptist’s preaching and his subsequent baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river, we will find it difficult to understand John’s preaching as ‘good news’. Who of us would regard what he has to say as decisively helpful in understanding our relationship to God. Who of us are helped by the knowledge that the truth of our life before God and each other in the final analysis depends upon the depth and truth of our repentance. John proclaimed to the people who came to hear him that they should repent in the light of the immanent appearance of God’s righteous judgement; the coming of God’s kingdom.

If we are tempted to think that John’s preaching of the coming judgement was directed at those who may be thought to be concerned only with outward works of righteousness rather than inward motivation of the heart,(the traditional examples being the Scribes and the Pharisees for whom John did indeed reserve some very special criticism in the other accounts of his preaching in the gospels: Mat 3:7  But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?) This view only intensifies the problem of John’s preaching for us. For who can be sure of the motives of any of our actions done or left undone? We know that the motives of our actions are at best mixed and at worst an expression of our preoccupation with our own self-interest. This was an intense problem for Martin Luther, alone with God in his monastery cell. How do I know that I have repented enough to receive the grace promised in the Eucharist.

He kept his vow to, “Help me, Saint Anne. I will become a monk.” only 15 days later July 17th, 1505. There were seven monasteries in Erfurt. He joined the most rigorous one. It was the Augustinian order of friars. He was 21 years old, and he had a singular focus on saving his soul.

    “If I could believe that God was not angry with me, I would stand on my head for joy. When I was a monk, I wearied myself greatly for almost 15 years with daily sacrifice, torturing myself with fasting’s and vigils and prayers and rigorous works, like self-freezing, not having any blankets, and I almost froze myself to death, earnestly thinking to acquire righteousness by my works.”

His problem is shown by Freud and others to be a universal problem of human consciousness. Freud called the boiling cauldron of our unconsciousness the Id and we spend our life attempting to put a lid on the id of our unconscious mind. This causes all sorts of neurosis by which we attempt to deceive ourselves about the reality of our thoughts about ourselves and others. Luther thought he could solve this problem by some drastic measures, such as by freezing himself in the snow or by  flagellation, beating himself with a whip. All to no avail for him he remained his miserable self.

To transfer the source of repentance from outward actions to inward motives only intensifies the problems created in attempting to understand John’s preaching of repentance as “good news”. His proclamation of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in the light of the coming judgement is extremely “bad news’ for all who hear his words. For none can come and stand before the judgement seat of God confident that the truth of their life can be understood as grounded in our capacity to repent. We all know what the prophet Jeremiah knew and Sigmund Freud confirmed for us, that the human:

(Jer 17:9) “the heart is deceitful above all things; and desperately corrupt– who can understand it?”

But when we reach this rather melancholy conclusion concerning the medium and the message of John the Baptist, we must remember that we have left out of consideration the one vital factor which enables John’s preaching of repentance to be heard as exceedingly ‘good news’ and not ‘bad news’ at all in this time of Advent.

This factor is the presence in the crowd who came to hear John preach of the one-man Jesus of Nazareth. With the rest of the people, He heard John’s exhortations in view the coming judgement; with them he had himself baptised in the Jordan; with them he received a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

The good news in the Baptists proclamation and action is this unheard-of action of Jesus, the Holy Son of God who though He knew no sin, by His action in accepting at the hand of John the Baptist a Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, He begins his public ministry by declaring His solidarity with sinners. No one came to the Jordan that day to hear John’s call for repentance more laden with sin and guilt than He, no one needier before God than he. He who is God’s Son. He who is different from all other people, in the inexplicable freedom of His grace negated the distance between Himself and all other people by becoming in His Baptism wholly one with us: not in our holiness in our alienation and estrangement from God and each other. He does this by receiving from John the Baptist a Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin.

In St Matthew’s gospel it is precisely this anomaly, this scandal, of which John the Baptist becomes acutely aware. He says to Jesus that that it is he, John, who needs to be baptised by him, Jesus, rather than the other way around. But against John’s protest at the contradiction involved in Jesus “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” Jesus insists upon John baptizing Him with this baptism “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. Because Jesus insists by receiving such a baptism, “We fulfil all righteousness.” Here we must understand that Jesus fulfils “all righteousness”, by placing himself in the wrong. He does what is right by placing himself in the wrong before God, for the sake of all those whom He now represents who stand in need of repentance, for all sinners, for all of us.

So, when Jesus is baptised by John with a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin in the light of the coming judgement of God it is not of His own sin that he repents and confesses. It is the people’s burden of guilt with which He identifies Himself as He goes down into the water of Baptism: as He receives John’s Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Precisely because He is the One who in this strange way identifies Himself with us, with our human alienated condition He is also the One, the only One who embraces the coming judgement of God; since He now embarks upon a public ministry through which He more and more becomes entangled in the godfosakenness of our human lot. Until at the end of His life He fulfils His strange journey into the far country of our alienation from God by crying out after his declaration of godforsakenness, τετέλεσται “tetalestai” “It is finished”. The glory of God, of which at Christmas we hear the angels sing, heralding Jesus’ birth, this glory is the glory of the humility of God. A God who does not count it too small a thing to declare His unity and solidarity with sinners. God’s glory is revealed here, as is made plain in the holy gospel of St John and the 17th chapter, as Jesus treads the ever-descending path of humiliation to the cross. It is in the cross that the unity of will and purpose of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit is revealed: And it consists in this: the mysterious delivering up of the Son by the Father together with the giving up of the Father by the Son for the sake of the threatened and lost human creature.

In this way also we come to see how appropriate it is that we understand the call to repentance by John the Baptist in the light of the coming judgement of God to be wholly good news. In the light of Jesus action in submitting to this Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins John becomes a harbinger, a witness, to the advent of the salvation of our God. A true messenger of the light that has dawned and shines upon us all. That light which St John the Evangelist tells us, in the first chapter of his gospel, which, “enlightens every person who comes into the world.” For in Christ our humanity has been restored to its wholeness in relationship to God and our fellow human beings and it is this restored humanity of Christ which is offered to us as the truth of our life as through the waters of our own Baptism as we are incorporated into membership of the very Body of Christ, His church, of which He is the heavenly Head.

As in the beginning God brought forth a cosmos out of the primeval chaos by means of His Word and Spirit, whom St Irenaeus calls the two hands of God: as in the beginning God triumphed over all that was opposed to the creature’s existence and brought life out of darkness and disorder, safeguarded the life of the creature from the encroachment of chaos, so here in the recreation of the creature God’s act of reconciliation is wrought by His Word and Spirit out of the water of Jesus baptism.

His descent into the waters of baptism signal Jesus’ descent into the watery chaos from which God called forth the cosmos. Here this chaos is identified. In Jesus condescension it is seen to reside in humankind’s alienation from God. In his baptism Jesus makes himself one with our rebellion by receiving at the hand of John a baptism of repentance: he who knew no sin, who is ever one with the Father, makes himself vulnerable for the sake of the creature, identifies himself with its existence. Threatened as it is by the impending abyss of nothingness to which it has committed itself in its grasping after the futile possibility of being its own saviour and helper: its rejection of grace.

Instead of our human lives crumbling away into meaninglessness of what Shakespeare calls our “dusty death.” Jesus gives to our human life it’s created meaning and purpose. As the risen and ascended One, the Victor of Gethsemane and Golgotha, He gives us nothing less than Himself and all that is His by means of His Word and sacraments: He promises Himself to us; He gives us back our true human being, restored in reconciled fellowship with God and each other.

Dr. Gordon watson.
Port Macquarie.

1 Advent 2024
Luke 21:25-36

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶ People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:25-28

These words of Jesus are meant as a clear reference a famous messianic prophecy in Daniel 7:13-14. Significantly, the text in Daniel is associated with and often read at Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday of the church year, which was last week. It is a text about the enthronement of the Messiah. This is what the text in Daniel says:

“I saw one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.”

Jesus can talk of his return with great power and glory on the clouds on the basis of his enthronement as king. Jesus’ words in the Gospel reading for this first Sunday in Advent, and the text from Daniel chapter 7, tie the church year together. We finished with a reminder and celebration of Jesus as King. Now, we begin the new church year with a reminder that this king, the Son of Man, will return to earth, just as he has ascended into his heavenly throne.

And that is what Advent is about. It is about expectation and preparation for the coming of Jesus. And it is about expectation and preparation for both of his comings to earth. It is about preparation for Christmas, for his coming to us in flesh. And it is about his coming again in power and kingly glory. Both themes run through our Advent season, and so we find what seems to us this strange mix of Bible readings, songs and prayers that both anticipate Christmas and the end times.

But that is Advent. It is a preparation for celebrating God’s first sojourn among us, beginning with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. And it is equally a preparation for his coming again in power and glory.

As a text focusing on the second coming (or coming again) of Jesus, the text in today’s Gospel reading carries the usual aura of apprehension and even fear at what is to come. We have signs in the heavens (appropriate for one returning from the heavens) as well as the seas. The heavens and earth will be shaken and there will be much anxiety and even panic about what is coming. We are told to be alert for these signs. To be prepared. Because Jesus coming will catch many off guard and unaware. And we are told that when these signs begin to appear, the generation of people who see them will not pass before Jesus returns in power and glory to earth.

Many throughout the history of the church have become focused on just what these signs mean. And also the meaning of ‘this generation will not pass away.’ Is it the generation Jesus was speaking to? Some who first heard these words would have thought that. But it seems in context much more likely to mean the generation that sees the signs he is speaking about. And just how long is a generation? Is it 20 years? 40? 60? 100? For those who become obsessed with biblical prophecy and trying to predict the time of Jesus’ return this becomes a big question.

And so also the question about reading the signs in the heavens and the earth. Every time there are special occurrences in the skies, such and comets, eclipses of moon and sun, solar flares, alignment of planets, etc there is another wave of those claiming that these must be the signs Jesus spoke of. And the same with massive storms in the ocean, and especially tsunamis. But the thing is, it has always been this way. Since the time of Jesus (and long before as well) these celestial occurrences have been observed, and there have been massive storms in the seas and tsunamis.

The one thing we know for certain is that everyone in the last two thousand years who has boldly predicted that the signs in the heaven that they observed, for the storms or tsunamis they experienced, are the signs that Jesus was talking about, has been wrong. But that does not stop or give pause to our modern day readers of prophecy who write books and flood the internet with their predictions.

Their ability to so clearly read the signs and to cause great anxiety is a bit like some of the more extreme climate catastrophists among us. There is no doubt that the impact human activity has on climate is a serious issue. But it seems that we cannot have a single hot or cold day, or heat waver or storm without it being a sign of the end. When I was young a heat wave was a heat wave and a storm was a storm. Cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes struct certain parts of the world every year, and there were always massive tornadoes in the American mid-west. But now it seems every weather event is a sign of the end. It is proof positive that climate change is about to bring an end to life as we know it. Some talk as if these things have not occurred before, or are somehow more extreme or common that they were 20, 40, 60 or 100 years ago. Even though both our memories and the records suggest this is not the case. But the reporting of such events has become more alarmist and sensational.

They are always certain that recent and current events are the portent of the end. But then the rains come again, as they always have, the seas calm again, as they always have, the floods subside, as they always have. Life goes until the next dramatic weather event somewhere in the world.

It is the same with the self-appointed readers of biblical prophecy. And the same with the heavenly signs, the roaring of the seas, and also the ‘wars and rumours of wars’ the Bible speaks of. They come and go as they always have. We get back to our routines until the next event or series of events fires up the readers of prophecy and those who read their books and follow their websites become anxious once more.

It is a predictable and sad cycle. But it is not what Jesus intended for his people when he said these words. He wanted us to be watchful, not panicked. He warned that those around us who did not know him and his love would be anxious and frightened about what was coming. Jesus did not mean for us to feel this way.

In fact, quite the opposite. Jesus told us these things that we might have hope, that we might rejoice that he is coming again.

Notice again the words of verse 28, the words so often overlooked by the prophecy readers and the predicters of the end times.  Jesus says, ‘when these things begin to occur, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’

Notice, Jesus doesn’t say, ‘run and hide.’ He doesn’t say, ‘be very afraid.’ He doesn’t say, ‘be anxious.’ In fact, he says quite the opposite. He tells us that when times are difficult, when we think this must surely be the end, to stand up and lift our heads in anticipation and celebration, because our redemption is near.

To say the least, it is not the reaction one would expect when everyone around us is anxious or in absolute panic. It is not the reaction one would expect if the world as we know it really was coming to an end.

But it is precisely the reaction to be expected from those who know and love Jesus. It the reaction of knowing that the king who is returned in great power and spectacular glory is also coming and the just and loving and forgiving king. The return of Jesus is, first and foremost, the return of our king, and saviour and friend.

When Jesus calls us to stand and lift up our heads instead of being anxious and fearful, he is calling us to hope.

And hope, as it happens, is the traditional theme of this first Sunday in Advent.

Preparing the way for the coming of the Lord. Expecting his return. These things are not about fear and anxiety. They are about hope.

And it is hope not despite of all the signs and turmoil we experience around us. It is hope precisely because of these things.

If all is going well in the world and in my life, then it would be odd for me to be anything other than optimistic about the future. We see this in the regular consumer optimism surveys. When the economy is going well, people are optimistic and have plans for buying, holidaying or staring a new business. When the economy is not going so well, or is forecast to have troubles, then we see the opposite. People are worried and put off any many commitments.

Imagine if we did just the opposite. If we started a new business venture or plans a big holiday when all the economic indicators were bad. Some would say this was simply foolish. Others would call it overly optimistic. Or perhaps we might simply call it hope.

This is similar to what Jesus describes in today’s text. The whole world is anxious and fearful. And not without reason. Yet his followers are to stand and lift their hands in celebration and excitement. That is true hope. It is hope built on the confidence we have in Jesus. That the king who is coming is the king we know to be just and loving and kind. The king we know as our friend, the one who gave his life for us.

Christian hope is about expectation and preparing. But not the kind of fearful expectation and preparing we see in so-called ‘preppers’ getting ready for the end of the world or some impending disaster by barricading themselves in.

Genuine Christian hope is one of joy and peace. It is one that is confident in the coming king when everyone around us is anxious and fearful. And this is true in our individual life journeys just as much as in the journey of world history leading toward the physical return of Jesus as king.

We might feel anxious at reports of wars and cyclones and fires and droughts, but these, unless we are in the midst of them, often seem a safe distance away. But when crisis and trouble strikes close to home, things are very different. When the bad news from the doctor is delivered to us, or someone close to us, it seems like the end of our world. When it is our job that is lost, or our relationship that breaks up, it really does seem like signs that the end is near.

But the message of Advent, the message of the coming kings, calls us to keep our eyes focused on Jesus even at these times. That is true hope. To rejoice and trust in Jesus even when all around us is fear and anxiety. When we can hope and trust in the coming king, not just in the face of far aways signs and portents and troubles, but also in the face of the challenges and troubles we will surely face in life, then we have understood the real meaning not just of Advent, but of hope in our coming king.

Amen.

Pastor Mark Worthing.
Port Macquarie.

The Text: John 1:6-8, 19-28

A few years ago, China landed a rocket on the moon and obtained some samples from the moon’s surface. We humans are fascinated by moon travel and expeditions to other planets.

Sometimes, when we see a full moon rising in the early evening, it appears so big and bright that we can see so much detail on it.

In some ways, John the Baptist is like the moon. He came rising onto the scene out of nowhere – from the wilderness – and told the people that he is not the light but was pointing the people to the light: He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. And that’s what the moon does. The moon does not produce its own light but it merely reflects the light of the sun. And what’s interesting is that the sun is nowhere to be seen – it’s at the opposite end of the world, and yet it shines bright enough to bring light to the deepest darkness.

In the same way, we Christians have been called to reflect the light of Christ. Jesus says – “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” So just as John was a witness to the light, we are to be a witness to the light. The light of Christ. And we do that by reflecting the light of Christ in all that we do. Because people look at us and they don’t just judge us by the things we do or say but they judge God as well.

As we look to see how we are reflecting the light of God it is often helpful to look in the mirror to see what others are seeing. Quite often we don’t realise what we are reflecting. We might think we are looking okay – until we look in the mirror and see our shirt button isn’t done up or we have some breakfast remains on our face. We might think we are leading great examples of Christian living; but it’s not important what we think, but what others see in us.

Luther’s explanation to the 10 commandments in his Small Catechism, helps us reflect on how we break each of the commandments in 2 ways – known as acts of commission and acts of omission. We break the commandments not just by what we do – acts of commission – but by what we don’t do – acts of omission.

Usually we’re pretty good at refraining from doing the wrong thing – acts of commission, such as in the 5th Commandment: “You shall not kill. What does this mean? We are to fear and love God so that we do not hurt our neighbour in any way.”  Yep, I can check that one off.

But Luther continues – “BUT, I am to help him in all his physical needs.” That’s the part I’m not always so good at. “Look, I’m a little busy at the moment – can’t somebody else help you?” Or the seventh commandment: “You shall not steal – we are to fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbour’s money or property.” Check. No worries with that one.

“BUT – we are to help him improve and protect his property and means of making a living.”

“Sorry but I’ve got my own business to worry about – I have to make enough to pay my mortgage – my credit card – and save up for my retirement. Can’t my neighbour get his act into gear? I’ve worked hard to get where I am – why can’t he do the same?”

 Sometimes it’s not the light of what we are doing that is reflecting on people around us – but what we are NOT doing that people are taking notice of. As the old saying goes – “all it takes for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing.” Sometimes it’s the acts of omission that do the most harm. And so it can be a real struggle reflecting the light of Christ because of the things that we don’t do to help our neighbour.  

And there are also times when we can fall into the danger of not reflecting the light of Christ because we are trying too hard to reflect our own light. A sort of, “Look at me – look at all the good things I’m doing.” And that’s where John had to try hard to keep reminding people that he is NOT the light. He said – I’m not even Elijah or one of the prophets. I’m just one who is pointing you to the true light of Christ.

St Paul shares with us how we CAN reflect God’s light not by doing good works in order for the world to be impressed with our service. No, Paul says – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. What a freeing thing that is when we forget about trying to impress others by our good works and just rejoice, pray and give thanks for all the good things God has done for us..

It’s so easy to rejoice, pray and give thanks when we realise how much God has done for us in Christ. But it’s just as easy to reflect the opposite, to grumble about everything instead of rejoicing. Like the Israelites who grumbled about their conditions rather than rejoicing that God had freed them from slavery in Egypt, many of us complained about the restrictions that were imposed upon us during the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead of rejoicing that God had saved many lives through the actions of the medical profession, and some of the restrictions put in place by the government of the time, we grumbled that we had to wear masks in church and use individual cups for holy communion. It’s so easy to forget to rejoice and give thanks and pray for our government and our medical profession, even though they’re not perfect, like all of us.  That’s when we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, “What image are we reflecting to the world? What light are we shining? Are we shining our own light or Christ’s?”

 So often we believe it is up to us to take the ‘fight’ to the world. We think that it is up to us to defend the rights of God and the church. And often what happens is that we replace God’s light with our own. And that’s what John was avoiding when he said: “I’m not the Christ, I’m not Elijah – I’m not one of the prophets. In fact I’m not even worthy enough to untie the sandals of the one I’m pointing you to.”

Yes, we all want to defend God – we all want to defend the church – we want to defend the name of Christ in an increasingly Godless world. But the best way we can do that is by rejoicing in the midst of it all – giving thanks in the midst of it all – and praying for all. And Paul says – pray without ceasing – because the challenges on the church and on God’s name are without ceasing. And in doing that we will be reflecting the light of Christ even if sometimes we don’t always live perfect lives. And even when that happens, we are assured by the Word of God, that, “the God of peace himself will sanctify you entirely; and your spirit and soul and body will be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The one who calls us is faithful, and he will do this. Amen.

Text Mark 1:1-8

Same story – different challenges

One of the challenges during Advent and Christmas is hearing the familiar story we all know so well.  Not that there’s anything wrong with the story, but sometimes we sort of switch off – we’ve heard it all before – we want to hear something new. We all know the story. We’ve all seen the Christmas pageants and know the script.  We’ve seen the Nativity scenes with Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus in a manger, the cow, donkey, the sheep and shepherds. It’s become almost too familiar.  And what is the old saying: ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’”?

The season of Advent prepares the way to Christmas through the wilderness. Advent makes a straight path for Jesus – the path which is usually hindered by the busyness of shopping and food preparation and the organising of holidays. Every year has different challenges hindering our preparations for Christmas.  During this Advent season let this be a time of reflection and contemplation as we hear the good news of Jesus coming to us in the flesh. Let the gospel sink more deeply into our lives, let the story of Jesus’ birth speak to us differently this year. The story of Jesus may be familiar – it may be the same – but our lives are not the same so let us hear the story with eager ears.

But before we do, let us remember haw very different it was during COVID. For many, it was not the usual joyous march toward Christmas.  Everything might have been planned – parents were thinking about roles for their children – the play was organised and being rehearsed, the carols and readings were all worked out. But how to fit the usual crowds into one per 4 square metres and 1.5 metres apart? And how to account for any visitors that may turn up? It was anything but the straight path to Christmas that John the Baptist proclaimed-  for us there were many road blocks and potholes to be faced along the way.

During COVID all people were anxious and waiting in the wilderness of lockdowns. For many, Advent was a wilderness experience in lockdown. For many there was no clear path forward. It was a time of uncertainty, fear and grief. Christmas may have been the same familiar story but our lives were not. But while the harshness of wilderness may have confronted us during those times of church closure, the ageless truth remained the same and it is what got us through. When the angel announced to Mary and Joseph that Mary would give birth he said that this child would be called Immanuel – which means God is with us. And that kept us going, knowing that in the wilderness we were not alone.

The season of Advent reminds us that no matter where we are or what experiences we are going through that God is with us in Jesus. The wilderness is an uncomfortable place if we are alone. Peter was writing to a Christian community who were in the wilderness. They too needed reminding that the Christmas story was a story of hope in times of wilderness. The wilderness can seem like an eternity when you are alone but Peter reminds us that with God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day.

Peter was writing to a Christian community experiencing persecution at the hands of the ruling empire. They were looking for Jesus’ return and immediate relief from their suffering.  But God does not always act in our timeline.  A thousand years is like a day, and a day is like a thousand years to God.  And when we are suffering, the lonely nights can seem like an eternity in the wilderness but, as the Psalmist writes: ‘Weeping may last for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.’

During Advent we are given a word of hope for the future while our present seems like wilderness. The prophet John the Baptist proclaimed in the wilderness a familiar message to a people who were in the wilderness themselves. Israel has been invaded by the Roman Empire and they had no king.  John pointed away from himself and toward someone greater to come. John pointed to a hopeful future by promising one who would come baptizing, not with mere water but with the eternal Holy Spirit. And we are to live out our hope by looking away from ourselves and our wilderness to one more powerful than us.

Our Advent message is that we are called to be a people that await the coming of the Lord in all circumstances.  We are always in waiting—through victory and defeat, triumph and loss. And as the church, we are to proclaim peace on earth, goodwill towards all, and joy to the world – all the messages of Christmas.

And that’s what Peter said also: “While you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation”. And it’s the patience of the Lord that creates the seeming slowness in times of wilderness – his patience of not wanting anyone to be lost forever.

So just as we are pointed by John to Christ, we point the world to the Christ, the one who is more powerful, more patient, and more loving. We point to the Christ, the one who is to come.

This Advent, many of us feel like we are still in the wilderness. But let us remember that all things here on earth are temporary. Let our lives be shaped by our hope in the truth that God is coming – that God has come in Jesus who is with us always. Amen.

The Text: Mark 13:24-37

Dear Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit on us so that we may keep watch for the coming of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have you noticed what’s coming? For example, have you noticed that Christmas is coming, and how can you tell?

You can tell because the shops and streets are full of Christmas decorations, wrappings, lights, gift ideas, etc. You can tell because Christmas music is playing. You can tell because the TV advertisements let you know what you need to buy to make yourself or your loved ones happy.

Or, have you noticed a number of new films coming soon? Boxing Day is traditionally when many blockbuster films open in cinemas around the country.

Or, have you noticed that the days are getting longer and warmer, and the agapanthus and jacarandas are flowering?

Or, have you noticed the Lord is coming, and how can you tell?

Well, you can tell by the signs.

Just like a television advertisement or movie trailer which changes scenes rapidly, today’s gospel reading, or rather Jesus through St Mark, is using a montage of pictures which advertise the Lord’s coming in a very contemporary way.

Try to imagine what he’s saying, picturing the signs:

The opening scene: Cosmic chaos! You watch the sun go dark; the moon goes black without the sun, the stars fall from their positions, and the heavenly authorities and powers are shaken from their foundations.

Change of scene: You see the Son of man coming on the clouds surrounded by the light of his glory. The angels whizz backwards and forwards to the ends of the earth, gathering all the chosen ones.

Change of scene: You see a fig tree at spring time, sprouting a new, green, tender shoot, advertising the coming summer; then you see a picture of the universe, and you’re disturbed to see everything, including the heavens and the earth disappear over time, yet you also notice the words spoken by God strangely remain unaffected by the ravages of time and don’t fade at all.

Change of scene: You see an alarm clock about to go off, but because it hasn’t got any hands to tell what time it will happen, no-one can figure out what time it will go off. You even see the Son of God go up and inspect it, but he too doesn’t know what time it’ll go off.

Change of scene: You watch a man going away on a journey, leaving his servants in charge of all his belongings. You see the doorkeeper of his property stand at watch. Time goes by and you notice the same doorkeeper at different times of the night and day still standing, still watching, still waiting.

Change of scene: everything is going dark, but as you see this, you notice more and more people falling asleep, and fewer staying awake. The scene ends with a word, strong and clear: Watch!

Like a richly colourful and startling advertisement, this montage of pictures creates a sense of anticipation.

In the church we anticipate and eagerly look forward to the coming of the Day of the Lord. This is what the Advent season is all about. Advent isn’t designed just to make us ready for Christmas, but to remind us and make us ready for Christ coming in his glory. And while we may not see the sun going black or see any stars fall, we know the moment of his return is getting nearer all the time.

But, we are not very good at keeping watch!

We aren’t very good at waiting because we want things NOW. We’re not even patient at watching sport. Many people prefer the quick action games like one-day cricket or 20-20 cricket to the slower battle of the tests. We also want our meals NOW, that’s why we have microwaves and fast food. We want to sing Christmas carols now and then by the time Christmas is here we are tired of them. We want to see the films now. We want the new products now so we can be first in our social circle to have the latest thing. We want to get better now rather than letting nature take its course. We want the highly paid positions now rather than working our way up the ladder. We want to get paid for our crops now. We want to receive the blessings of retirement now. We want to be wise now. Even emails and mobile phones demand our immediate attention.

Why are we all so busy and feeling stressed out? Because everything has to be done…NOW! But who said everything has to be that way?

Have you noticed how we’ve become so impatient? Is this healthy for us? We have forgotten how to be patient, to watch and wait. We need to re-learn the art of silence. We need to re-learn the teaching of rest and relaxation instead of our constant work and busy-ness.

But that’s not all! We’ve also become passive watchers. What once used to make our blood boil or cause us to cry, no longer affects us or moves us to action. Many of us were deeply affected when we first saw the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre buildings or the Bali bombings on our television screens. But what about now? Terrible atrocities seem to be reported on every night in our news bulletins. What is our reaction? Not another terrorist attack that we are tired of hearing about. It also seems as the amount of violence increases on our TV screens, the less we notice it; we become conditioned to it. Violence and terror don’t move us to action the way it used to. The most we do is shake our heads and change the television channel to find something else more appealing.

In other words, we’re becoming people that hide or ignore our emotions. What once used to shock us, we now turn a blind eye to. What once used to terrify us, we now only shrug our shoulders.

Unfortunately this same attitude affects the church. For example, when the Word of God strikes deeply at our hearts, we might just consider it an “itch” and ignore it. When God urges repentance, we self-justify our actions and excuse ourselves from self-examination. When God announces peace, forgiveness, comfort and love, we simply shrug our shoulders as if nothing has happened.

Yet we are called to watch – actively and patiently. The Spirit calls us to action like a concierge standing watch. He calls us to have patience as we wait in constant anticipation.

But just like a scary movie, we might be afraid to watch. Some of us are afraid to look for the signs of the Lord’s coming, because it reminds us of our fragility, our feebleness, our weakness, or our sinfulness. Yet for those in Christ, watching for Jesus isn’t something to fear.

Even though some of the signs Jesus talks about may be scary to some, to Christians they’re something to look forward to. We look forward to them because we’re among the chosen ones!

Since we’re God’s chosen ones, even if the sun were to lose its light and energy, we’ve nothing to fear. Even if the stars were to fall from the sky, we can instead celebrate the coming of the Lord. Even when Jesus comes in glory and many shake with fear, we can clap our hands and cheer our victorious King.

We can do this because we’re among those he’ll gather up into his eternal kingdom. He’s already placed his name on us in baptism, claiming us to be his own. Therefore, confident of his love and faithfulness, we can constantly watch and look forward to his promised return.

This is the story of Advent. When Advent comes, we’re called to watch. We’re to watch ourselves and admit our impatience, our inaction and our laziness. We’re to repent of our busyness that has squeezed Jesus and his word out of our lives. We’re to repent of our sinfulness, but in such a manner that we don’t fear his anger, but instead we are confident of his mercy, compassion and forgiveness.

When Advent comes, we’re called to watch for Jesus. We’re to watch for the signs of his coming and listen to his Words of promise. We’re to look to Jesus who truly comes to us already, hidden in a child born in Bethlehem, hidden in the words of a sermon, hidden in water mixed with his holy name, and hidden with bread and wine that truly becomes his body and blood.

Just like an advertisement announcing the arrival of a film, product or celebration, Advent creates sense of anticipation. We anticipate that Jesus will return, for that’s what he said. Jesus doesn’t lie. His word remains true and valid today as the day he first promised.

Therefore stay awake and watch, actively and patiently! Watch, knowing that salvation is ours and we’re the chosen ones who’ll be gathered up to enter his kingdom. Rejoice that we’ve been selected to enter his kingdom without fear.

As we stand and watch, clinging to God’s word, we’re assured that he’s not far off, but here with us, standing beside us patiently. In this way as we listen attentively, eat and drink eagerly, we’re assured that salvation is ours even now. So the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard our hearts and minds as we wait and watch for our coming Lord Christ Jesus. Amen.